Energy Transfer Partners appeals revocation of Louisiana pipeline permit
By Liz Hampton
HOUSTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - An Energy Transfer Partners subsidiary on Monday appealed a ruling by a federal judge in Louisiana that halted construction on a portion of its Bayou Bridge crude oil pipeline, according to court documents.
The motion came after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick on Friday issued a preliminary injunction revoking a needed permit for the pipeline, which is already under construction.
Environmental groups and local fisherman have opposed the line, citing concerns about the environment and local economy. A portion of the pipeline would run through the Atchafalaya Basin, a nearly 1 million acre wetland in southern Louisiana that is a critical component of the state's commercial fishing industry and flood protection system.
Representatives from Energy Transfer Partners did not respond to a request for comment. The project is 60 percent owned by ETP with the remainder controlled by refiner Phillips 66.
The disputed pipeline is an extension to an existing line, which transports crude from Nederland, Texas, to Lake Charles, Louisiana. The new segment would extend the system to St. James, Louisiana, and have capacity to transport up to 480,000 barrels per day of oil.
Energy Transfer Partners last year prevailed over a fierce push from environmental and Native American groups to halt its controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. Although opponents of that line were able to temporarily stop construction, it began service in mid-2017. (Reporting by Liz Hampton; Editing by Tom Brown)
